Escape to the Waterfalls

This last week has been really rough. We’ve been having problems yet again with the government and medical college of Honduras in the continuing struggle to get our doctors licensed here. But I won’t bore you all with the ghastly details. What I prefer to write is about the blessing of God’s beautiful nature. What a wonderful gift to enjoy some of that this weekend. Saturday we all took off for our favorite waterfall and had a wonderful day playing in the water, cliff jumping, hiking to the top of the falls, swimming in pools higher up, getting a great back massage under a small waterfall…good times all around. Of course we did have the little setback of the tailgate of the truck falling off as we drove there, so three of our boys took a nose dive into the mud! It was very funny actually!











And of course, the obligatory traffic jam at the cattle crossing. Poor Sally got caught on the wrong side! We had to wait for all the cattle to go by so she could get back to our side!

Then this afternoon I had another fun diversion for a few hours to take my mind off the stresses of medical stuff. I went with some of the youth down to the beach and we found a huge log, drug it into the water and played "king of the log" for what seemed like hours. Why is knocking people into the water sooooo entertaining?
I just thank God for the little pleasures in life that remind us that the world is not actually falling apart and that there are many things out there besides our problems.

Missionary Conference

This weekend we loaded up the Landcruisers with luggage and kids and headed for the hills. About 30 of us went to the Honduran Missionary Conference in Siguatepeque about a 6 hr drive from here. Those who couldn't go (and had to stay and cover the hospital) sent their kids along anyway, so we had the whole gaggle. What a blast!

There were missionaries from all over the country starting Bible Colleges, teaching english, running medical clinics, ministry to prostitutes, church planting...so many cool people out there! I made great contacts and learned a lot from others. Our speaker was an incredible man who was a missionary in the Phillipines for over 20 years. What stories that guy had! Whew! He was hilarious and inspiring and challenging...best speaker I've heard in a long time! It was cool to be at a conference for missionaries. There was none of this "you need to go out and serve" business. It was all, "now that you're here, how do you best minister to people?".

Hanging out with the MKs was one of the highlights of the weekend. I was one of the chaperones for the swimming pool and that was a good time, except for when some of the kids got in trouble (I'm still trying to figure out that balance between buddy, big sister, and adult). Then we played games, stayed up late talking, told stories, prayed together. Precious kids!

Another highlight was the deliciously cool weather. I actually put on jeans and a sweater. It was so exciting to finally be cold again! At night when I shivered and pulled my blanket up around my neck, I thought I might have died and gone to heaven. As I sit here sweating at 10pm back in the lowlands, I wonder why God didn't call me to the mountains???

Family Surgery

So, today, I was the lucky doctor chosen to remove part of an infected fingernail of one of the MKs (missionary kid). She didn't want it done, but she REALLY didn't want her Dad to do it, so she let me. Of course since all the MKs here are like brothers and sisters they couldn't resist coming in to see what what going on and to make sure that Katie was OK. I had about 10 curious eyes staring at me while I worked! It was actually pretty funny because every time a new kid would come in, they would ask "is she cutting off her finger?". When it was all done and Katie had indeed survived, with the support of her friends, Katie's Dad came in and took pictures of us all. So much for patient confidentiality! :)

Home visits

Last weekend I went out with my friends John and Penny to the hills to visit a family. We went 4-wheeling up a crazy dirt road for half an hour and then hiked up and up and up the mountains to a ridge over looking the ocean and the villages below. Breathtaking! About ten minutes before we arrived at their home, the heavens let loose and gave us a nice shower. We were already soaked with sweat, so it didn't make much difference!

We spent several hours with them, discussing medical problems, giving them some meds, encouraging, learning and praying with them. It was a great time. The only uncomfortable part was when they insited that we eat some of their fresh, homemade cheese. Yikes! We really prayed over that cheese that we wouldn't be running to the toilet with diarrea the next few days. (we were spared!)

It was such a blessing to visit that family who is so remote. And there are sooooo many others WAY out there that could take many hours, maybe days to reach. And we wonder why they wait to the last minute to come to the clinic!

The biggest pager in the world!

When I was an intern, I had to wear four pagers when I was on call. It was terrible, you were pulling up your pants all night long and when one went off, you would frantically search your waistline for the offending machine.

Now that I am out of training and into the jungles, I have traded in my pagers for a very large, fairly heavy CB radio. So, I once again have the "pants falling down all day" problem. Is there no justice in this world? Am I doomed to be forever hitching up my pants? Should I give in and start wearing suspenders???

Bambu Waterfall

Amongst the many tragedies that we see here every day, (breast cancer left untreated and grown into a fungating mass coming out the skin) there is amazing beauty all around in nature. Today was a national holiday, which meant a day off. Yippee! There is a visiting doctor and his wife who really wanted to go to the waterfall, so after much calling around, I finally commandeered a vehicle for a few hours and off we went. We bumped and jostled down the road, crossed many rivers (almost got stuck in one!), and then hiked up the river to a lovely waterfall and fresh water pool. Gorgeous. It was nice to relax and get away from the craziness of the hospital!

Salsa and Zuko

I must say that I make some pretty mean salsa. I'm quite well known among Greeleyites for my delicious salsa and for the taste of garlic left in your mouth for several days after eating it! :) Unfortunately, my secret weapon (salsa maker) did not make it to Honduras, so I was reduced to chopping vegetables by hand. No wonder people don't make salsa that often! Its a lot of work! I'll have to try it out on some of the other missionaries and see if they

like it as much as my Colorado friends.

Just wanted to show the "juice of choice" for most Hondurans in these parts. ZUKO. It is of course not juice at all, rather lotsa sugar with some flavoring. Strange thing is that it really grows on you and I've become quite fond of the Mango flavor. Hope all my teeth don't fall out! The local Honduran dental disaster is a good demonstration of what happens when you drink sugar and never brush your teeth!